Embodiments of the invention relate generally an operator-interactive computer system interfaced with a medical imaging apparatus. The medical imaging apparatus is capable of scanning a patient and thereafter producing a digital image of a region of interest (ROI) within the patient. The operator-interactive computer system is capable of enabling an operator to capture, display, and manipulate each digital image for medical diagnosis and clinical research purposes.
In a modern healthcare setting, multiple medical imaging apparatus systems are commonly networked to a central image management system. The medical imaging apparatuses themselves commonly utilize, for example, electromagnetic radiation, x-rays, sonic waves, or photonic energy to produce viewable digital images of internal regions within a subject of interest. Once produced, these digital images may then be utilized by a medical professional to aid in the examination, diagnosis, and/or treatment of the patient. Frequently, one particular type of medical imaging apparatus is preferable over another type of apparatus for producing digital images of a certain ROI within a patient. For example, ultrasound imaging apparatuses are particularly useful for producing digital images of a fetus during prenatal care, whereas magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatuses are useful for producing digital images of a wide range of tissues within a patient for the detection of potentially cancerous lesions.
The central image management system typically includes a central storage unit that is coupled to a plurality of operator-interactive workstations. The central storage unit itself is particularly configured to store or archive digital images produced by any of the medical imaging apparatus systems networked thereto. In addition, the central storage unit is also configured to allow the selective retrieval of digital images therefrom for display on any of the workstations networked to or within the central image management system. In this way, if the facility has a large number of medical imaging apparatuses situated throughout, digital images produced by any one or more of the medical imaging apparatus systems can be selectively stored or archived in the central storage unit and then later selectively retrieved and viewed by one or more medical professionals working at any one or more of the workstations.
When a medical professional, as an operator, conducts work on a workstation, the operator is able to selectively retrieve and view digital images from one or more sets of archived images produced during one or more prior examinations of a particular patient. In addition to viewing digital images, other information such as medical imaging apparatus identification, imaging parameters, presiding physician identification, and identifying information associated with the patient are all accessible and viewable, as well. Once an operator selects and successfully displays a digital image on the monitor screen of a workstation, the operator is then able to manipulate the image such as by zooming in on a portion of the image or by changing the viewing order of the image within a set of images. The operator can also selectively move and store sets of images in different categories of computer work files. In order to facilitate an operator's successful and expedited navigation through and between digital image sets and computer work files, the workstation includes a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) on the screen of its monitor. The GUI is typically designed such that the operator can specify his or her on-screen viewing preferences relating to the visual layout of the on-screen icons displayed by the GUI.
Although there are numerous different types of medical imaging apparatuses, some of the more prevalent types include computed tomography (CT) imaging apparatuses, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatuses, ultrasound imaging apparatuses, and x-ray imaging apparatuses. As alluded to earlier herein, although each medical imaging modality functions and operates in a manner different from the other types, all types generally operate to focus on at least one ROI within the patient and produce digital images of those regions. In this way, once the digital images are produced, the digital images may then be utilized by medical professionals to aid in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of patients.
An example of a specific implementation of these various medical imaging modalities is the use of computed tomography (CT) in cardiac imaging. As described above, a medical professional using one workstation can perform cardiac imaging on a patient utilizing CT. Thereafter, one or more medical professionals (e.g., a cardiologist) may access the captured digital images from other workstations in the network. From any of these workstations, the medical professional(s) may use the workstation GUI to view a plurality of indexed images acquired during cardiac imaging, including all manipulations and annotations made with regard to the image.
Unfortunately, however, conventional workstations and workstation GUIs do not enable the medical professional to have streamlined access to the specific workspace from which the digital image they are viewing was taken. Furthermore, conventional workstations and workstation GUIs do not provide the user with a simplified option for electronically mailing selected digital images to desired recipients. Currently, a user must save desired digital images to a USB device, CD, DVD, or other electronic storage device, upload the digital images from the storage device to a personal computer, and then electronically mail the uploaded digital images from the personal computer. Additionally, current workstation GUIs do not enable a user to make substantial comments related to the digital image, wherein these comments are stored and displayed with the image, but not located on the image itself. Conventional annotation of images is provided on the image itself and typically comprises only a brief label of anatomy or pathology. Such annotations, however, obstruct portions of the image, and thus user comments should be limited so as not to obstruct diagnostically important portions of the image.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a medical imaging device having a user interface capable of enabling simplified user access to the original workspace of a given digital image, direct electronic mailing of selected digital images, and increased image annotation capabilities, wherein these user comments are automatically associated with, and saved with, the selected digital image.